(Reprinted  from  Illinois  Central  Magazine,  July,  1917) 


Specialists  and  Special  Collections 

By  Eugene  F.  MoPike,  Manager,  Perishable  Freight  Service,  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 

Chicago 


We  live  to  learn,  that  we  may  learn 
to  live.  Knowledge  is  power.  The  man 
who  knows  is  useful  and  will  be  increas- 
ingly useful  in  the  days  to  come  which 
may  be  very  close  at  hand.  This  is  true 
not  only  in  the  relatively  narrow  sense 
of  the  individual  and  the  activities  with 
which  he  may  come  most  closely  into 
contact,  but  also  in  that  larger  sense 
which  is  represented  by  the  flag  we  call 
our  own.  Our  vision  must  be  extended 
to  still  more  distant  horizons  because 
knowledge  is  cosmopolitan ; it  knows  no 
boundaries  either  of  geography  or  of 
politics.  It  cannot  be  court-martialed 
for  including  all  humanity  within  its 
scope,  even  during  a time  of  war.  Yet 
he  best  serves  humanity  who  serves  best 
his  own  country  because  in  order  to  pre- 
serve any  good  within  us  we  must  be 
true  and  loyal  to  our  ideals.  Duty,  like 
charity,  begins  at  home. 

We  live  to  learn,  that  we  may  con- 
tribute what  little  we  can  toward  the 
happy  solution  of  the  problems  con- 
fronting the  race  to  which  we  belong. 
The  strength  of  a nation  is  in  the  sum 
of  its  energies.  Hence  we  must  corre- 
late specialization  with  generalization. 

The  ambitious  and  serious  student  of 
any  subject  frequently  experiences  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  into  touch  with  the 
sources  of  the  particular  knowledge 
which  he  seeks.  His  home  may  be  far 
from  any  large  public  library  or  other 
facilities  for  study.  He  may  be  quite 
j uninformed  as  to  the  ways  and  means 
1 which  are  at  his  command  if  he  were 
only  sufficiently  industrious  to  use  them. 
There  is  great  need  of  a general  guide 
to,  or  a directory  of  specialists  and  spe- 
cial collections  relating  to  technology 
and  other  useful  information.  Such  a 
work  ought  to  be  compiled  and  pub- 
lished in  the  form  of  a “Year-book,” 
which,  in  some  measure  would  be  a key 


to  the  world’s  knowledge  of  today  and 
tomorrow,  just  as  printed  literature  or 
bibliography  is  a key  to  the  knowledge 
of  yesterday.  The  world  in  which  we 
live  is  moving  fast.  It  is  ho  longer 
enough  to  know  how  or  why  a certain 
thing  was  done  in  a certain  way  yester- 
day, but  we  desire  to  know  and  often 
must  know  how  and  why  it  is  being 
performed  today  or  indeed  may  be  per- 
formed tomorrow.  Progressive  knowl- 
edge is  in  the  immediate  custody  of 
those  specialists  who  are  creating  it. 
They  are  busy  men  whose  hours  and 
minutes  are  filled  with  work  of  a highly 
specialized  character.  From  such  duties 
they  cannot  be  diverted  by  any  idle  in- 
quiries, but  the  serious  student  will  find 
that  generally  speaking  where  there  is 
a will  there  is  a way. 

The  specialists  themselves  often  re- 
quire and  seek  information  outside  their 
chosen  field.  All  knowledge  must  be  in- 
terrelated for  its  parts  are  interdepend- 
ent upon  each  other. 

This  proposition  in  one  form  or  an- 
other is  receiving  serious  consideration 
in  England,  France,  Russia,  etc.  An 
excellent  editorial  article  relating  to 
the  establishment  of  a Central  Informa- 
tion Bureau  was  published  in  the  Lon- 
don Engineer  of  May  25,  1917,  urging 
the  establishment  of  such  a Bureau  in 
England  based  upon  the  program  of  the 
International  Restitute  of  Bibliography 
in  Brussels,  fflgium.  Similar  action  is 
about  to  be  commenced  in  France  for 
the  organization  of  a “Society  for  the 
Promotion  of  National  Industry.”  It  is 
furthermore  reported  in  the  public  press 
that  some  active  steps  are  being  taken 
in  Russia  for  the  organization  of  a new 
“Association  for  Development  and  Dis- 
semination of  the  Positive  Sciences.”  It 
would  appear,  therefore,  that  in  the 
United  States  where  technology  has 


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ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  MAGAZINE 


been  so  much  developed  and  used,  it  is 
high  time  that  some  definite  action  be 
taken  in  the  direction  of  establishing  a 
general  clearing  house  or  Central  Infor- 
mation Bureau  to  promote  the  inter- 
change of  technical  and  other  useful  in- 
formation. 

As  a very  small  contribution  toward 
the  proposed  Directory  of  Specialists 
and  Special  Collections,  the  following  list 
has  been  prepared  and  arranged  accord- 
ing to  the  Dewey  decimal  classification 
of  knowledge  as  used  by  many  Amer- 
ican librarians : 

000.  GENERAL  WORKS. 

001.  Research  and  Intercommunica- 
tion (general). 

(1)  The  Library  of  Congress,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  often  furnishes  very  use- 
ful information  or  suggestions  (gratis) 
to  serious  investigators  or  students  in 
response  to  reasonable  and  brief  in- 
quiries which  are  clear  and  to  the  point, 
relating  to  almost  any  branch  of  human 
knowledge. 

(2)  The  Chicago  Daily  News  Infor- 
mation Bureau,  Washington,  D.  C.,  an- 
nounces that  it  will  undertake  to  answer 
any  inquiry  when  accompanied  by  a two 
cent  postage  stamp  for  each  question 
presented.  The  replies  generally  consist 
of  bulletins  or  other  material  obtainable 
from  the  governmental  offices. 

(3)  The  American  Library  Associa- 

tion (Geo.  B.  Utley,  Secretary,  78  East 
Washington  Street,  Chicago)  has  ap- 
pointed a special  committee  to  investi- 
gate and  report  upon  a plan  known  as 
“Sponsors  for  Knowledge”  originated 
by  Geo.  W.  Lee  of  Boston.  Under  this 
plan  certain  librarians  and  specialists 
accept  direct  responsibility  for  the  col- 
lecting and  furnishing  conformation  on 
designated  subjects.  preliminary 

lists  of  “Sponsors  for  Knowledge”  ap- 
peared in  the  Bulletin  of  the  American 
Library  Association  for  January  and 
March,  1916. 

(4)  According  to  The  Library  Jour- 
nal (U.  S.)  for  August,  1912  (vol.  37, 
p.  478),  the  Library  of  Congress ; Cali- 
fornia State  Library,  Sacramento;  John 
Crerar  Library,  Chicago ; and  the  Hall 
of  Archives,  Ottawa,  are  equipped  with 


photographic  apparatus  (“photostat”) 
by  which  copies  of  pages  in  books,  man- 
uscripts, etc.,  can  be  made,  at  small  cost, 
for  students  and  others.  The  Library  of 
Engineering  Societies,  New  York  City, 
was  also  considering  the  installation  of 
such  apparatus.  (See  entry  No.  19.) 

(5)  A Society  for  the  Advancement 
of  Knowledge  is  being  organized  with 
headquarters  in  Great  Britain  and  a 
branch  in  the  United  States.  It  will  be 
devoted  to  the  promotion  of  ways  and 
means  to  facilitate  the  interchange  of 
useful  information.  Its  official  organ  is 
i(The  Link.”  (See  entry  No.  11  in  this 
series.)  Membership  fee:  $3.00  per 
year. 

(6)  A “University  Extension  Club” 
may  be  organized  by  Mr.  Ernest  Briggs, 
Steinway  Hall  Bldg.,  Chicago,  whose 
tentative  plans  contemplate  a central 
office  with  ways  and  means  to  promote 
intercommunication  or  the  direct  inter- 
change of  useful  information.  The 
membership  fee  will  probably  be  fixed 
at  $3.00  per  year  which  will  include  the 
official  organ  to  be  published  at  stated 
intervals. 

(7)  Kosmos,  International  Corre- 
spondence Alliance,  Amsterdam,  The 
Netherlands,  publishes,  in  January  of 
each  year,  a directory  of  its  members 
throughout  the  world,  with  an  indica- 
tion of  the  subject  of  immediate  inter- 
est to  each,  so  as  to  encourage  di/ect 
intercorrespondence  between  them, 
when  desired.  Membership  fee : $1.25 
per  year,  plus  a cash  guarantee  of  $1.25, 
which  is  refunded  on  termination  of 
membership. 

026.  Libraries  on  Special  Subjects. 

(8)  Special  Libraries,  organ  of  the 
Special  Libraries  Association.  Editor: 
John  A.  Lapp,  State  Library,  Indian- 
apolis, Indiana.  Monthly;  $2.00  per 
year  (10  numbers). 

050.  General  Periodicals. 

(9)  Notes  and  Queries,  Bream’s 
Buildings,  Chancery  Lane,  London,  E. 
C.,  England.  Weekly  1849-1917,  in 
half-yearly  volumes  with  index.  Also 
General  Index  to  each  series  of  twelve 
volumes.  Includes  a wide  range  of  sub- 
jects within  its  scope.  Is  in  public 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  MAGAZINE 


libraries  of  larger  American  cities. 
(Monthly  since  April  15,  1917.) 

(10)  LT  nt  er  me  diair  e des  Chercheurs 
et  Curieux.  31  bis  Rue  Victor-Masse 
Paris,  France.  Thjrice  monthly  since 
1864.  General  Index  to  1896.  A set 
in  library  of  University  of  Chicago. 
Relates  chiefly  to  French  history,  etc. 
(Sometimes  called  the  “French  Notes 
and  Queries.”) 

(11)  “The  Link  ” official  organ  of 
the  Society  for  the  Advancement  of 
Knowledge  (see  entry  No.  5 in  this 
series).  A directory  of  its  subscribers 
with  their  varied  interests,  is  published 
in  Great  Britain.  Appears  quarterly  in 
March,  June,  September  and  December. 
Is  in  Chicago  Public  Library,  Library 
of  University  of  Chicago,  New  York 
Public  Library,  etc. 

080.  Collections  (general). 

(12)  “Special  Collections  in  Libra- 
ries in  the  United  States”  by  W.  Daw- 
son Johnston,  librarian  of  Columbia 
University,  and  Isadore  G.  Mudge,  ref- 
erence librarian  of  Columbia  University. 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education,  Bulletin, 
1912,  No.  23.  Government  Printing 
Office,  price  ten  cents.  (140  pages,  in- 
cluding index.) 

300.  SOCIOLOGY. 

(13)  Infant  Welfare  Society,  104 
South  Michigan  Avenue,  Chicago. 

361.  Red  Cross. 

(14)  American  Red  Cross,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  (Official  Organ:  The 
Red  Cross  Magazine,  monthly ; Double- 
day, Page  & Co.,  Garden  Citv,  Long 
Island,  N.  Y.) 

400.  PHILOLOGY  (LAN- 
GUAGES). 

(15)  Students  of  French,  Spanish  or 
other  foreign  languages  would  find  it 
profitable  to  correspond,  if  possible, 
with  some  one  knowing  that  language  as 
his  mother  tongue.  This  may  not  be 
easy  to  arrange  in  the  present  interna- 
tional situation.  (See  entries  Nos.  5, 
6,  7,  11,  16,  17,  in  this  series.) 

408.9  International  Language. 

(16)  The  British  Idistic  Society,  J. 
W.  Baxter,  Secretary,  47  Limes  Grove, 
Lewisham,  S.  E.,  London,  England,  is 


making  good  progress  with  its  propa- 
ganda of  “IDO”  (pronounced:  ee-doh), 
in  Great  Britain.  Lord  Northcliffe  has 
thrown  open  the  columns  of  his  news- 
paper, “The,  Daily  Mail  ” for  that  pur- 
pose. 

(17)  The  International  Language 
Society  of  America,  G.  W.  P.  Gibson, 
Secretary,  5610  Dorchester  Avenue, 
Chicago,  Illinois,  will  answer  inquiries 
regarding  the  practical  application  of 
“IDO”  in  the  world  of  commerce,  etc. 

540.  Chemistry. 

(18)  The  Chemists’  Club  library, 
New  York  City,  has  been  consolidated 
with  the  Library  of  the  Engineering  So- 
cieties, same  place,  for  which  see  entry 
No.  19  in  this  series. 

600.  TECHNOLOGY. 

(19)  Library  of  the  Engineering  So- 
cieties, 29  West  39th  St.,  New  York 
City  (with  which  the  library  of  the 
Chemists’  Club  has  been  consolidated) 
will,  for  reasonable  compensation,  un- 
dertake special  researches,  not  only  for 
members,  but  for  any  one,  by  securing 
information,  copies,  transcripts,  transla- 
tions, etc.  Address  W.  P.  Cutter,  Li- 
brarian and  Secretary. 

(20)  “Technical  Information  Bu- 

reaus,” by  Miss  L.  B.  Krause,  librarian, 
H.  M.  Byllesby  & Co.,  Chicago.  In 
“Engineering  Record”  (U.  S.),  for 

June  22,  1912,  page  690. 

, (21)  “New  Technical  Books,”  a 
quarterly  bulletin  issued  by  the  New 
York  Public  library,  New  York  City, 
and  distributed  gratis. 

(22)  Society  of'  Technical  Associa- 
tions’ Secretaries ; Harry  D.  Voight,  95 
Liberty  Street,  New  York  City. 

(23)  The  Vocational  Education  As- 
sociation of  the  Middle  West.  Secre- 
tary : Albert  G.  Bauersfeld,  instructor 
pattern  making  department,  Lane  Tech- 
nical School,  Chicago ; address  Sedg- 
wick and  Division  Streets,  Chicago. 
Issues  an  interesting  and  instructive 
“Year-book.”  Membership  only  $1.00 
per  year. 

630.  Agriculture. 

(24)  The  U.  S.  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, Washington,  D.  C.,  and  its  sev- 


SO  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  MAGAZINE 


eral  Bureaus,  will  supply,  on  request, 
much  information  concerning  any  spe- 
cific phases  of  agriculture,  horticulture, 
plant  diseases,  etc.  The  same  is  true  of 
many  of  the  State  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Stations. 

655.  Book-dealers. 

(25)  “The  International  Directory 
of  Booksellers,”  edited  by  James  Clegg, 
Aldine  Press,  Rochdale,  England,  1914 
(644  pages  with  Index).  Copies  are  in 
principal  public  libraries  of  U.  S.  Is 
useful  also  as  an  indirect  means  of  find- 
ing a new  correspondent  in  a foreign 
country,  through  whom  to  conduct  spe- 
cial studies  and  investigations. 


656.  Transportation : Railroading. 

(26)  Bureau  of  Railway  Economics, 
429  Homer  Building,  Washington,  D. 
C.  R.  H.  Johnston,  Librarian. 

659.  Advertising. 

(27)  Advertising  Association  of 
Chicago,  Advertising  Building,  123  West 
Madison  Street,  Chicago. 

700.  FINE  ARTS. 

710.  Gardening  (landscape). 

Town  (city)  Planning. 

(28)  The  City  Club  of  Chicago  (315 
Plymouth  Place)  has  made  a special 
study  of  town-planning. 


